GDHQNHL15_2pg-New York Islanders 1

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New York
ISLANDERS
Key Additions:
C Mikhail Grabovski; LW Nikolai
Kulemin; G Jaroslav Halak; G
Chad Johnson; D T.J. Brennan;
LW Cory Conacher
Key Subtractions:
G Evgeni Nabokov; LW Thomas
Vanek; D Andrew McDonald
Strengths:
Roster depth at almost every
position
Weaknesses:
Penalty kill, defense,
goaltending
Offense
If the Islanders are to get back into the playoffs – they have missed
six of the last seven years, including last season – and make their final
season in Uniondale a memorable one, they have to improve over last
year’s 16th-place showing in goals scored. Of course, if the team wasn’t
28th in goals allowed, there wouldn’t be quite the need for a giant
increase in goals.
A healthy John Tavares is a good place to start. He was active for only
59 games last year but still scored 24 goals. He suffered a partially torn
MCL in the Olympics and never returned to the lineup. He didn’t need
surgery is ready to go and should again be one of the league’s best scorers.
He’ll work again next to Kyle Okposo, who led the Isles with 27 goals last
year, a career high. Though his production has been a bit erratic, he has
the potential to be a steady producer every season.
The third man on whom the Islanders can rely is center Fans Nielsen,
who also had a career year last year, registering 25 scores. Perhaps
he and Okposo thrived because Tavares was out, but each provides
some fortification.
So do newcomers Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin—or so
New York hopes. The two combined for 59 goals when they played
together in Toronto in 2010-11 and are likely to occupy the same line.
Neither has come close to that type of production in the ensuing
three seasons, but the hope is that they will provide complementary
scoring assistance.
Last year’s fourth-leading scorer, Thomas Vanek, is gone, so the
Islanders must hope the newcomers will deliver, along with center Brock
Nelson and wingers Michael Grabner and Cal Clutterbuck. None will be
front-line weapons, but they can help on lower lines. Meanwhile, Josh
Bailey is a solid set-up man.
Defense
New York spent some money to upgrade its forward lines, but it
didn’t do too much to help the defense. Perhaps GM Garth Snow thinks
that by upgrading—or at least changing—the goaltending situation, there
is no need for personnel movement along the blue line.
New York did lose Andrew McDonald, but his 24 points and
minus-19 rating in just 63 games aren’t likely to be missed all that
much. If Lubomir Visnovsky can coax a healthy year out of his 38-year
EASTERN CONFERENCE
METROPOLITAN DIVISION
Kyle Okposo
Gregory Shamus/NHL/Getty Images